Charles Clarke is right. David Miliband should run for the Labour leadership and give Gordon Brown a fight. The only worry I have, from a Tory viewpoint, is that Miliband might win. I find him an intriguing politician. He comes from a Marxist family and is steeped in politics. He's another political apparatchik turned professional politician, but he does actually have interesting things to say. He consistently denies any intention to stand against Gordon Brown, yet his every action indicates the opposite.The Daily Telegraph has an extended interview with him today - at his request, not theirs. In the interview he articulates a new brand of thinking under the catchphrase of 'I can'. Ignoring the irony of being part of a government whose Nanny State approach is more akin to 'You can't', at least he is articulating interesting thoughts. Gordon Brown seems unable to do so. He rehashes announcements, bangs on about 'Britishness', but can't seem to articulate new ideas or new thinking.
Miliband is the Labour cabinet member most Tories fear. Brown provides a negative contrast to the freshness of David Cameron, but Miliband would provide the Conservatives with a very different challenge. No Tory believes the recent poll which showed Miliband as no more popular than Brown.
It would also be good, and cathartic for the Labour Party to have a properly contested leadership election. No one believes that Meacher or McDonnell provides a realistic challenge to Brown, and the prospect of Brown having to endure six weeks of hustings on his own will look sad and pathetic.
But it all boils down to courage. In 1995 Portillo didn't have the courage to challenge John Major. If he had, he would have probably won. In 2003 David Davis chose not to challenge Michael Howard when Iain Duncan Smith resigned. Had he done so he may well have triumphed. In 2006 Nick Clegg harnessed his horse to Ming Campbell's carriage when he too would have stood a good chance of winning. David Miliband's moment of decision approaches. If he runs and loses he cements his place as Brown's effective number two. But there is a reasonable chance that he could run and win. And he knows it. Graphic Hattip Beau Bo D'Or
Try reading Robin Page's column in today's DT about Defra barminess, and then tell me Millipod is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say he's a good thing, but he's a good bet.
ReplyDeletePeople are aware that Brown's been pulling the levers that jerk their lives around for years. They're tired of it. Miliband may have nothing more than freshness going for him, but it was enough to get Blair elected. Don't discount it. A reputation for being fearsomely smart, young and in touch, and different from "the devil you know" can go a looooooong way in politics.
Gordon has the leadership sewn up. But he is Labour's Anthony Eden: the heir apparent for so many years whose brief inheritance will end in ignomony.
ReplyDeleteJuly 2007: Gordon Brown Prime Minister.
2008: Government, having long since run out of ideas, now runs out of money. But clings to office.
2010: General Election. Tory victory. Brown resigns, Milleband takes over. Labour out of office for twenty years.
Don't take my word for it. Ask long-time Labour supporters.
Milliband vs. Brown
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'd like to see it, it hardly inspires the imagination. Has Milliband ever given an inspirational speech?
To me, he may popular among the politocos but would not be popular with the general public.
Milliband is 4th or 5th choice and only being discussed because all the other big beasts are out. It's way too early for him and actually I'm not sure he's up to it anyway. Being bright is one thing, but he's also a bit creepy. And that business of 'buying' his child has never really been explained.
ReplyDeleteHe's about the only one that could make dave look experienced.The Cons should back Millie all the way.
ReplyDeletedouble bluff
ReplyDeleteyou fear Brown , Brown has the thing that cameron lacks the most .gravitas . Dont get me wrong I think Brown is an incompetant tosser but then again so are most people and they will see him as being head and shoulders above dave and his new haircut.
You know ful well who is the only man who could give the Conservatives a chance of winning.
Iain,
ReplyDeleteHow do you see Milibland winning given how the Labour voting system works?
If Milibland did stand all that would happen would be that Brown got damaged even more than he is already. That must be a good thing for the Tories.
He might just be put off by the notion of forever being known as "Brown's Number Two"...
ReplyDeleteMiliband won't stand. He has consistently says he won't and if he does he will be in an awkward position due to what he has said previously.
ReplyDeleteThe man needs a bit more experience before aiming for No 10
Say Milibrain wins. Then what does the Broon do? -Rival Ted Heath with the longest sulk? Will the Broon's supporters stay with him and try to unseat the Milibrain?
ReplyDeleteMay you live in interesting times.
Cameron has a major advantage over either Brown or Milliband, which is that he is English, and so does not need to blather on about a concept, 'Britishness' or hide a subliminal hatred of the English.
ReplyDelete"Cameron has a major advantage over either Brown or Milliband, which is that he is English..."
ReplyDeleteErrm, which part of continental London was Miliband born in? Also, if anyone believes this guff from Iain, you are soft in the head. The Tories spend all their time attacking Brown. Why? Because they are scared of Miliband! Pull the other one.
Hitch-sadly your right.Whatever we may think of Brown he is a seasoned politician with gravitas.
ReplyDeleteDave on the other hand comes across as Blairlike gimmick ridden and any passing bandwagon jumping.
Another case as someone said earlier on a different thread of man and boy scout.
MILIBAND?! The man is a joke! He just comes across as a Blairite nerd who wants to punish us for using fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I think you are being a bit naughty talking up Milipede who would make Cameron look deep.
ReplyDeleteI have commented a couple of times on his blog on which his thoughts are paraded & I didn't see any flashes of anything more than cliche. You have commented before on his blog & expense therof.
His vision seems to be about giving us "carbon footprint" ration books & putting our rubbish in numerous bins. I think he is this generation's Michael Meacher - who rises without trace by spouting politically correct nonsense because he has the advantage of not being equipped to question it.
"Interesting things to say": I've yet to hear anything.
ReplyDeleteJust to hear his voice makes me feel sick.
>In 2003 David Davis chose not to challenge Michael Howard when Iain Duncan Smith resigned. Had he done so he may well have triumphed.
ReplyDeleteSo did he or didn't he? It's 'might well have triumphed,' for heaven's sake! 'Edukashun, edukashun, oh why bother?'
Your point is valid. However I disagree that the Tories should fear him. He is very weak under pressure in the media and was bad on Today last week. It is up to Milliband if he stands, but my guess is that no heavyweight will finally decide until after the local elections. If they are as bad for Labour as predicted, especially in Scotland, Brown will be in a very weak position. No one appears to comment on this Scottish dimension but it is a very real issue for Labour. Blair has been up there twice in recent weeks.
ReplyDeleteNo chance. Miliband is too embedded - up to his armpits - in the Green Taliban which is Public Enemy Number 1 to the average woman and bloke on the train now pulling into Liverpool Street. That's why he polls so abysmally - and why most of us, Labour, Tory or D/Ks like me detest the smug git.
ReplyDeleteMiliband is anything but stupid. Gordon is likely to crash and burn. To defeat Gordo in this leadership election would put a grumbling sulk on the back benches with a near infinite capacity for mischief.
ReplyDeleteNo, I suspect Miliband will put himself forward once the trainwreck that will be the Brown phase has resulted in an undeniable landscape of twisted track, gouged ballast and burning wreckage.
If anyone else stood against Gordon Brown and won, then what would they do with Gordon Brown?
ReplyDeleteThey'd be insane to keep his Chancellor, and not much more sensible to make him Foreign Secretary or Home Secretary. He'd just walk out if offered anything more junior than that.
On the backbenches, he spend all day and all evening plotting with MPs and briefing journalists.
Even if he were made an ambassador, then it would really have to be to Washington or the UN, enabling him to conduct his own foreign and trade policies, effectively independently, and with the ear of whoever happened to be the President of the United States, a country his own political links to which go back a lot further than those of Tony Blair himself, never mind of any Blairite successor (including David Cameron).
All in all, Number 10 is actually where Brown can do the least damage.
As for Miliband, I've met him several times and never been impressed. The first time was while I was a supply teacher and he was Minister for School Standards. He asked me what I did, I told him, and then I added that (as was then the case) the only school to which I would never go back was in his constituency. What was he going to do about it?
He just giggled and walked away.
They're all mad getting rid of Blair. Far from a warmonger, he's a peace-maker, viz the Northern Ireland settlement tonight and his years of working at it. I know you're all Tories on here, so instinctively hate everything to do with Labour, new or old. Well, I am not a Labour member but I do recognise a good thing when I see it. And Tony Blair's a very good thing. And last week's poll putting Blair ahead of Brown seemed to show the public aren't completely fooled by the press's hatred of him.
ReplyDeleteAnyway - I still have the 'delusional' wish to keep TB in power for longer. Google - Keep Tony Blair For PM .
I bet if he was still there at the next general election he'd give Cameron a pasting. Otherwise, well, I think the Tories might just be back in, if nice Mr Cameron can keep fooling the voters.